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Shown Here:Referred in Senate (09/29/2010)

111th CONGRESS2d Session

H. R. 1362

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 29, 2010

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

AN ACT

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment of permanent national surveillance systems for multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurological diseases and disorders.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1.Short title.

This Act may be cited as the “National Neurological Diseases Surveillance System Act of 2010”.

SEC. 2.National neurological diseases surveillance system.

Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“SEC. 399V–5Surveillance of neurological diseases.

“(a) In general.—The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall—

“(1) enhance and expand infrastructure and activities to track the epidemiology of neurological diseases, including multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease; and

“(2) incorporate information obtained through such activities into a statistically-sound, scientifically-credible, integrated surveillance system, to be known as the National Neurological Diseases Surveillance System.

“(b) Research.—The Secretary shall ensure that the National Neurological Diseases Surveillance System is designed in a manner that facilitates further research on neurological diseases.

“(c) Content.—In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary—

“(1) shall provide for the collection and storage of information on the incidence and prevalence of neurological diseases in the United States;

“(2) to the extent practicable, shall provide for the collection and storage of other available information on neurological diseases, such as information concerning—

“(A) demographics and other information associated or possibly associated with neurological diseases, such as age, race, ethnicity, sex, geographic location, and family history;

“(5) research scientists with experience conducting translational research or utilizing surveillance systems for scientific research purposes.

“(e) Grants.—The Secretary may award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, public or private nonprofit entities to carry out activities under this section.

“(f) Coordination with other Federal agencies.—Subject to subsection (h), the Secretary shall make information and analysis in the National Neurological Diseases Surveillance System available, as appropriate, to Federal departments and agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Defense.

“(g) Public access.—Subject to subsection (h), the Secretary shall make information and analysis in the National Neurological Diseases Surveillance System available, as appropriate, to the public, including researchers.

“(h) Privacy.—The Secretary shall ensure that privacy and security protections applicable to the National Neurological Diseases Surveillance System are at least as stringent as the privacy and security protections under HIPAA privacy and security law (as defined in section 3009(a)(2)).

“(i) Report.—Not later than 4 years after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Congress concerning the implementation of this section. Such report shall include information on—

“(1) the development and maintenance of the National Neurological Diseases Surveillance System;

“(2) the type of information collected and stored in the System;

“(3) the use and availability of such information, including guidelines for such use; and

“(4) the use and coordination of databases that collect or maintain information on neurological diseases.

“(j) Definition.—In this section, the term ‘national voluntary health association’ means a national nonprofit organization with chapters, other affiliated organizations, or networks in States throughout the United States.

“(k) Authorization of appropriations.—To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2016.”.